I’ve found that for the most part, my classmates who came into j-school knowing what it was and what it offered; what it could teach them and who would be teaching it; those who were open to criticism and different ways of thinking and writing and seeing — they were the people who left school satisfied with their investment. I developed that maturity by having some real-world experience and perspective, both in life and in journalism, before I decided to return to school. But I had several classmates just out of undergrad who were focused and talented, and they too reaped the benefits.
Columbia j-school isn’t perfect. It costs too much, as does nearly every institution of higher education in this country. That piece of paper you get at the end is not a magic pass into the halls of your desired workplace at your desired salary. You may not get to take every single class or work with every professor you want. You are expected to work hard, sometimes harder than humanly possible. But the informed consumer — a good reporter — knows this before spending the money to attend. The uninformed one writes a bitter essay that blames others for her problems and, despite having an Ivy League degree in journalism, misses the real story.
* Rao tells me she met that professor at a convention when Rao was 19 (before j-school) and they’ve been Facebook friends ever since.
- 1
- 2
Wow. The sardonic tone throughout this piece suggests that you must be a real pill when your editors sit you down to go over your work. Not sure that I love the "you should read these opposing voices, which I will now mock" approach to taking on a pretty significant issue facing young journalists considering j-school.
As a CU j-school alum ('96), I can agree with the "$60,000 buys me a..." sentiment. But rather than a pyramid scheme, I'd say my degree bought me connections. I had already worked low-level jobs at local papers and CNN (among other places) before I went to CU. But it was that name on the resume that landed me my first job at a major publishing company after graduation.
This was in a time when the internet was still finding itself for journos. I was in a new media emphasis with 5 other people (and that might be a high estimate from memory). The program has developed into a leader in figuring out how this industry progresses with technology (Go, Sree!)
I've since left journalism for more creative pursuits. But if I were a journalist in today's landscape, I'd sincerely be hesitant to invest that much money to gain access to a marketplace with salaries that don't sustain the costs of tuition (which field does without your selling your soul?).
That doesn't mean that there isn't value to the program. There's great value. That's why coming off as defensive in your defense against those that think otherwise really doesn't do you any service.
#1 Posted by Eric Olson, CJR on Thu 11 Oct 2012 at 06:11 PM
So, this was a fun piece for you! I suspect you read the first and last paragraphs of Rao's piece, as your own piece smacks of the gross smugness of an alumus unnecessary defensive of a school that teaches journalism yet costs $60,000+ for a 10-month session. Not to forget the estimated $20,000 cost to live in NY for the year.
Your assumption that Rao didn't look into a school's programs or that she didn't bust her butt at j-school makes what could have been a thought-provoking post in defense of j-school into one akin to a Reddit troll.
Her problem with j-school is that she HAS friends who bust their butt and went above and beyond at j-school, and yet they still do not have jobs in this challenging market. She also points out that the increasing professionalization of journalism and the jaw-dropping cost of a 10-month program (which Columbia students fund mainly through loans; about $5-10,000 average in scholarships according to a rep at a career fair) is a serious problem that merits serious investigation. That, Ms. Morrison, is the true story - not that it sounds to you like these two woman are entitled airheads who didn't take advantage of j-school.
Taking on $60,000 in loans for a career field with starting salaries around $30,000-$40,000 IS a big choice for students, and it is one that they are increasingly being pressured into considering due to family concerns, like Rao, or concerns that you need a grad degree to really make it. Of course, they could have chosen not to go, but it's important that others are able to reflect on and share through own experiences so that future students can make better informed decisions. That last part kind of sounds like... the entire point of journalism! Yayyy!
If anything, this unthoughtful defense of j-school and unwarranted mockery of two writers with views counter to your own has turned me off even more to the idea of attending Columbia, if this is what you have appeared to learn in order to attract more readers.
#2 Posted by Potential J-School Student Even More Turned Off, CJR on Thu 11 Oct 2012 at 06:47 PM
After reading two pieces by graduates who regretted going to the j-school, it was only natural to expect that someone would come up with a story that lauded his or her j-school experience. There are plenty of people who will readily testify that their time at the j-school was a great learning experience, and I honestly expected Sara's piece to be something of that nature. But in what could have been a nuanced piece on the benefits of going to j-school, this piece is instead buried in a tone of ridiculous smugness.
This is especially noticeable in her critique of Ankita's work, where she harps on Ankita's spelling of "lede" and Ankita's "Columbia money" statement. First of all, "lead" is still very much used at many places with the same meaning as "lede," something which Sara could have easily researched, but, at the same time, that point has no real bearing in this critique whatsoever, except to showcase the writer's "holier-than-thou" attitude. On the latter point, some of us could be using our own savings to pay for school, and Ankita could have been alluding to that when she mentioned using the money in other ways than going to school. But instead of drawing that inference, Sara resorts to bringing up Gloria Vanderbilt--really, Sara? That's your best response to the Anderson Cooper bit?
The worst bit, however, is in the last paragraph, where Sara elevates herself to the position of "a good reporter," easily dissing Lilly, Ankita and others who might think in a similar manner as an inferior species of sorts--I fail to understand what in those two blog posts makes Sara call out these two people as bad reporters. Also, in both Lilly's and Ankita's essays, I really didn't think that they were blaming others for their problems--on the contrary, they seemed to be very much blaming themselves for making the wrong decision, something that Sara, despite her "informed consumer" status, seems to have completely missed.
I am especially disappointed that this has appeared in CJR, a magazine that is supposed to make informed commentary and reasonable debates on journalism and the like. Having different opinions is fine, and choosing to criticize each other's opinions is also totally fine. But by choosing to write this piece in a rather unwarranted snarky attitude, Sara barely makes a case for the j-school experience and the points that she does make is barely visible in that cloud of smugness. Case in point: the comment by "Potential J-School Student Even More Turned Off" above.
Also--now that I have said all this, I think I need to also make clear that I absolutely don't regret going to j-school. I had a great time, learnt a lot, met some amazing people and I definitely think my writing has become better. But I certainly don't expect everyone to feel the same way, and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. But this rebuttal to those two original stories is something that I definitely don't agree with, and while I would not have been bothered if I saw this on a personal blog, I am rather surprised that this actually made it into CJR and hence, am posting this response.
#3 Posted by Aby, CJR on Thu 11 Oct 2012 at 09:13 PM
I think we all bring different experiences and have received various returns from our degree. While I may not share in Ankita's experience, I appreciate her piece because she shares a personal narrative: one that may differ from my own, but does not come at the expense of others. Had Morrison's piece embarked on a similar personal narrative, rather than serve as an attack on others who raise important questions, I may have appreciated it.
This piece, however, is one of the most disrespectful and arrogant pieces of "journalism" that I have ever read. With thorough research, Morrison would learn that many instructors accept both "lede" and "lead". What strikes me as interesting is this was the same woman who made fun of our teaching assistant during a very informative presentation in my History of Journalism class. I can see that some people just lack respect--even after they graduate with prestigious degrees. Perhaps there can be a 1-credit skills course for that.
CJR: I expect better.
#4 Posted by Sumit, CJR on Fri 12 Oct 2012 at 01:25 AM
Re Anderson Cooper: don't knock being an heir (or marrying up). Seems to be the trending way to support "journalism."
And grad school too.
#5 Posted by Edward Ericson Jr., CJR on Fri 12 Oct 2012 at 11:35 AM
I'm more than a little concerned that CJR, endowed as it by Columbia Journalism School, and still housed in the same building, would publish a piece chastising two students for having negative feelings about attending. Did the editors not see the conflict of interest here?
Perhaps more importantly, and I've mentioned this to the author directly, this essay might have been perfectly appropriate for a personal blog, where it might even be fair to dismiss the other two authors for their admittedly naive points of view. I also happen to belong to the camp that thought J-School was worth it But CJR should not have published this. It's not a piece even remotely related to media criticism and is far too snarky for a serious piece.
#6 Posted by Hiten Samtani, CJR on Fri 12 Oct 2012 at 02:55 PM
"Columbia j-school isn’t perfect. It costs too much, as does nearly every institution of higher education in this country... The uninformed one writes a bitter essay that blames others for her problems and, despite having an Ivy League degree in journalism, misses the real story."
The real story you find here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/opinion/sunday/the-self-destruction-of-the-1-percent.html
"Historically, the United States has enjoyed higher social mobility than Europe, and both left and right have identified this economic openness as an essential source of the nation’s economic vigor. But several recent studies have shown that in America today it is harder to escape the social class of your birth than it is in Europe. The Canadian economist Miles Corak has found that as income inequality increases, social mobility falls — a phenomenon Alan B. Krueger, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, has called the Great Gatsby Curve.
Educational attainment, which created the American middle class, is no longer rising. The super-elite lavishes unlimited resources on its children, while public schools are starved of funding. This is the new Serrata. An elite education is increasingly available only to those already at the top. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama enrolled their daughters in an exclusive private school; I’ve done the same with mine."
You can stick elite education with unpaid internships as barriers which keep out those who can't afford their costs.
Hey, that reminds me, weren't you advocating for writers to work for free?
Journalism and writing in general are tough rackets. There are those out there who can afford advantages you may not and the jobs you may get may not pay the bills as ad revenues continue to fall putting pressure on publishers to slash costs.
But you don't want to talk about people's bitter struggle to scrape together the resources needed to get an education. You don't want to talk about economic pain. You think we need bloggy posts and funny lol gifs, lol.
Talk about burying the lede.
#7 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Mon 15 Oct 2012 at 05:15 AM
"Instead of looking into what $90,000 in student loans would mean after graduation, she decided that “looming debt was my invitation to adulthood.” Apparently O’Donnell didn’t get said invitation the day she turned 18."
What $37,000 in student loans can mean.
http://www.alternet.org/story/153311/i_said_no_to_my_student_loan%3A_one_borrower%27s_decision_to_stop_paying?page=entire%2C0
"And people in default are, in fact, even bigger cash cows , and not just for the feds. People are not just punished for falling behind on student loans – they are trapped for life. Professional licenses are revoked, wages garnished, friends, family and employers harassed. People are made examples of, so that others fall in line. And when they do fall in line – here is where they end up . Why is it that forbearance fees are legal again? Because, the system is stacked against borrowers? Gotcha...
Shame is one of the great tools of what is an all-out class war. The funny thing is, by all appearances, I’m an American success story: immigrant family, great education, international career, husband I adore, fantastic baby who wears little hats with ears. But, like many people, I am being suffocated by a screwed-up system.
You know what I am actually ashamed of? Gambling with my life and the life of my kid because of student debt. Check out this article I wrote for Foreign Policy about giving birth on the state’s dime in Russia. One detail I “forgot” to mention is that my husband and I had the money to pay for a private contract at a Moscow hospital – thing is, it was a lean summer, and I was terrified of defaulting. I was so brainwashed by the system that owned me that I wouldn’t touch the money meant for Sallie Mae. My father, who’s been struggling financially as well, wired me some cash – that was set aside for loans as well. I actually went against my husband’s wishes and put myself and my child at risk, because I was trying to be “financially responsible.”
My son’s face greets me every morning. It says, “I trust you, mother.” When he grows up, I’m going to have to explain the risks I took with him while he was at his most vulnerable, because I wanted to be a good little cash cow...
As a writer and journalist, I supplement my income with freelance writing gigs, much like my director husband supplements his with acting gigs. All of that together makes up our family budget. When the gigs dry up, so does the money going towards my loans. We’ve been chasing more work, but as the economy continues to suffer, and the cost of living goes up while jobs evaporate, people like us end up competing for jobs that barely exist. And I would rather have what little money I have left right now into paying down my government loans (at least the interest rates there are not ridiculous) and the modest amount I had to spend on credit cards while being between jobs.
Some people kill themselves after defaulting on student loans. Driving these folks to suicide is an essential component of the system, because, once again, it keeps the rest of us in line. I know the consequences are going to be devastating – it’s part of the reason why I’m so pissed off."
What's your snarky answer to the woman who gave birth in a second class hospital because she made the choice to finish school in a field of dwindling opportunities?
Go traveling lady and learn some empathy on the way. Sounds like you can afford the trip.
#8 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Mon 15 Oct 2012 at 05:34 AM
"Hey, that reminds me, weren't you advocating for writers to work for free?"
Sorry, that was your colleague Ann Friedman:
http://www.cjr.org/realtalk/the_rules_of_the_freelance_gam.php
"Write regularly on your personal site and on sites that don’t pay you, and then disseminate those links as widely as you can."
Which was great advice if you can afford to do that while paying a $90,000 loan.
Anyways, it was an honest mistake.
#9 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Mon 15 Oct 2012 at 05:49 AM
No one at the journalism school nor CJR asked me to write this piece; the idea to write it was my own. I decided that Columbia j-school was worth it to me before I was ever offered a position at CJR. I was offered a job at another publication – I had applied there previously, but they didn't look seriously at my resume until it had the Columbia degree on it. My job here is not contingent upon writing up glowing recommendations for the school, nor would it be in jeopardy if I did the opposite. I have no conflict of interest, though I can see how there was an appearance of one, and this disclaimer should have been in my original piece.
It is part of my job to analyze and critique items that appear in the media, as both of these pieces did. I could have done that job better by toning the snarkier parts of the piece down, but I stand by my main points. There are plenty of valid complaints to be made about the j-school. I didn't think those two pieces listed them.
You don't have to go to j-school to get a job in journalism. You don't have to go to j-school to be "good" at journalism. Going to j-school doesn't guarantee you a job in journalism. It is, like anything else, a risk. But risks can be mitigated. The j-school is too expensive not to do everything possible to get the best out of it.
#10 Posted by Sara Morrison, CJR on Mon 15 Oct 2012 at 05:41 PM
Basically, you felt personally insulted because these two writers were implicitly knocking you-- you, the one who was not "too experienced" for the program, who has accepted your (apparent) debt burden, who is proud of you Columbia degree and doesn't want to see it devalued-- and so you, in turn, decided to personally insult them, only in a kind of unintentionally class-ignorant, privileged (despite trying very hard to be the opposite), and rudely snarky way. Mission accomplished. But even if you were legitimately, with the best will in the world, trying to present valid information on what is a real controversy, and even if you were totally legitimately trying to rebut unjust criticism of J-School, you are obviously *way* too close to this to see it clearly, and you just come off as kind of a tool, I'm sorry to say. Too bad.
#11 Posted by kabosh, CJR on Mon 5 Nov 2012 at 05:00 PM